


Bittersweet Escape

by comelytwat



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, BoyxBoy, Depression, M/M, Romance, xiubaek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 19:26:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15647382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comelytwat/pseuds/comelytwat
Summary: Baekhyun found himself denying, he found himself running. he found himself searching for recovery.Until he met minseok.





	1. Dusty arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Soo... i'm still new to writing, and i will do my best to create a story for y'all which is gripping, pleasant to read and entertaining... i dont know if i will succeed but anyways! have fun reading!!

His gaze flickered along the rows and rows of trees which stretched out to the sky, seeming to try so hard to reach it but never succeeding.

The tires creaked and the whole bus jerked to the right, causing Baekhyun to bump his head against the greasy window and lose track of his thoughts.

Curious, but with a rather bored expression, he eked over the few shabby seats in front of him, trying to figure out for how long he has already been driving, and for how long he still has to sit here and drown in thoughts until they reached the planned destination.

 

But everything that came into his sight was that old corpulent bus driver who hasn’t done much the whole drive but sit there and keep his eyes on the road while listening to some old take-away radio thing playing distorted rock songs, older than he himself probably.

He fell back into his seat with a sigh and again let his eyes graze the scenery to his right.

 

_Fuck_

 

The only reason why Baekhyun agreed to this trip, after weeks of his mother bugging him to go and telling him that “its for his best” and “he should at least give it a try”, is so the endless bitching and bleating would stop and he got to get away from _it_.

Away from the devouring gray and noisy city, his not caring dad and his too caring mother, the daily and ongoing dark thoughts which he wished he could abandon out of his head, throw in his locker and never open it again.

But he just can’t get rid of them, no matter how hard he tried, or his mother, or his overly ambitious therapist who has the looks of a professional, but surely isn’t one, for that matter.

 

He sighed again and turned his head away from the window, now tracing the threads in the sewed seat cover with his eyes.

He wasn’t even allowed to take his phone with him, no electronics at all, his parents made sure of that by working up a list with every single thing in Baekhyun’s ownership which has even the smallest amount of currency flowing through it, not like he has to necessarily message someone anyway.

 

“NEXT STOP, MONTGOMERY RANCH”

 

The static of the speakers made it hard to understand what exactly the old man driving the bus just literally screamed in the microphone through his thick beard, not that he needed speakers with such a small bus.

 

Slowly he started packing his things, scattered all over the seat next to him, into his beige worn out backpack.

As an old copy of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ got in his hands he eyed it for a moment, letting his gaze fly over the leather book cover, this was his favorite book, _especially_ this book.

Eventually he carefully placed it in his bag and leaned back, waiting for the bus to arrive at the farm.

 

With an aching loud and screechy sound it throttled into the gravel driveway and stopped, the door on the front of the vehicle opened up a few seconds later with an equally unpleasing screeching.

He took a last deep breath which speeded through his lungs and eventually got up to leave the miserable bus.

The first thing he noticed as his feet touched the stony ground was how numb his knees had gone from multiple hours’ drive, had it been hour’s? Baekhyun had lost any sense of time since his parents placed him in the bus but doesn’t matter how long it took him to get here, it felt like an eternity to him, and he isn’t sure yet if he should be relieved about his arrival.

The chubby bus driver painstakingly got up after him and opened the trunk to hand Baekhyun his blueish suitcase, he shot him a last grumpy look and got back in the bus.

 

The ancient little craft chuffed away right behind him, the loud engine still echoing in his ears he stretched himself into the air to lose up his joints a little and started exanimating his environment.

Unmissable was the immense dark brown barn which looked a bit derelict, but he guessed that’s just serving the provincial life aesthetic.

Next thing he noticed was an evenly big yellow house connected to it with a few flower pots here and there distributed next to the wooden door.

As he started further investigation on the carvings in the door frame the just-mentioned door opened and two people appeared which slowly started approaching him.

 

He kept his eyes locked on the two and stayed put, waiting for them to greet him and start talking whatever they thought has to be said.

The one of the two was a woman, slender with charcoal hair reaching to her shoulders, wearing a white shirt with a picture of a horse and in chaptalized letters “MONTGOMERY FARM!” printed next to the animal.

She seemed nice, he guessed.

The other one was male, his brown curled hair immediately caught his eye, it was pinned back with a clasp, he had a rather bulky physique, embraced by a raunchy overall.

His facial features were soft, almost _cute_ , but Baekhyun banished that thought as quick as it came.

 

“Welcome to the Montgomery farm! You must be Baekhyun, the newcomer, am I right?”

 

The girl spoke with a far too friendly tone, she smiled brightly and held out her hand, waiting for Baekhyun to do the same.

For a moment he hesitated, studying her mimic with an unsure smile until he eventually took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

 

“uhm... yeah, yes I am Baekhyun.”

 

He said with a steady voice, are all the people around this… enthusiastic? With every second that passed he started regretting his choice more and more, he isn’t really a fan of having to live like the Amish and keeping a smile up all day.

The man held out his hand as soon as Baekhyun’s delicate fingers parted from the woman’s and gave him a crooked smile.

 

“Welcome Baekhyun, my name is Junmyeon and this is my partner, Wendy!”

 

He gestured at the girl next to him, Wendy, and smiled even brighter, showing his teeth.

All this smiling made Baekhyun sick.

After he shook Junmyeon’s hand he dropped the smile and nodded at them both with an expecting expression.

He could immediately see their reaction in a disappointed hesitation, but they soon carried on with their talk.

 

“Soo…”

 

Junmyeon spoke, scratching the back of his head.

 

“How about we show you around a bit? Get to meet all the people and maybe grab something to eat? I am sure you must be hungry after the drive!”

 

Baekhyun slowly nodded and glared at them both.

He wasn't really hungry, the flaming hot Cheetos which he binged on the ride served as nutrition.

But anyways, he didn’t really have a choice but let this whole shitshow wash over him, its only two months, he told himself over and over again.

 

It has been one Spring’s morning when his mother stormed in his room and told him about this farm, she even printed out copies and hastily explained to him why this would help his depression and why he should really spend summer there and so on.

He just listened silently, watching her mimic change from excited to worried to expecting, he had told her that this was just another waste of money and time, another useless attempt to “cure” him, make him feel better, make him feel alive.

His Parents didn't understand, they never have and they never would, Baekhyun was convinced.

And now he still wonders how his mother eventually got him to go.

Something told him they just wanted to get some rest of him.

Something told him that they deserve it.

 

He silently followed the disgustingly kind couple and let his thoughts wander off again while he just nodded along the things they told him about the farm and explained the basic rules.

 

Baekhyun is convicted, these two months will be hell.


	2. The Boy in the ugly plaid Shirt

His rather big suitcase dropped on the creaking wooden floor with a loud thud.  
He sighed heavily in both relief and despair as he heard the footsteps of the his companionment fade.

The room he was led to by Junmyeon and Wendy, which he was currently standing in, appeared as old as the rest of the property.  
Old wooden ceiling decorations, little lusters hanging from the ceiling which lamps flooded the room in dim yellow light, carved bed frames crafted out of equally old and creaky wood as the floor.  
This fact became apparent as Baekhyun let himself flop onto the mattress and the bedstead gave him an immediate response by creaking furiously like it would collapse into itself any moment.  
After he just remained frozen for a few moments and tried making himself comfortable on the rather hard mattress, he took the rest of the room in.

Nice, is this where he will be living the next months?  
A sad room accompanying an even sadder occasion.  
With a last itchy breath leaving his lungs he forced himself to get up, not sure what exactly his intentions were in doing so.  
He could get something to eat and try to get through the time with stuffing himself until he was on the verge of throwing up.  
Or he could look around, search for the best place where he could spend his time and live his misery.

Nothing but unbearable pressure and anxiety speeded through his head, and as hard as he tried grabbing something which allowed him to get through all of this without drowning, he couldn’t.  
Like a swarm of deadly flies, darkening the sky, approaching him from the horizon, knowing the danger and dread coming but not being able to do something against it.  
He jumped back to reality and found himself sitting in an awkward position on the bed.

Fucking weirdo

He thought to himself, pushing the darkness in some lost cupboard in his head, trying to keep it locked away for as long as possible, like he always does.

Deciding not to rot in this dodgy room, he slowly and with obvious discontent strode towards the door and opened it just enough to lurk into the hallway and check if any unwanted witnesses were present.  
Since no one was in sight, he stepped out of his room and walked the same way Junmyeon and Wendy had led him in back outside.

It was comfortably warm, not too hot and not too cold.  
The sun was grazing his bare skin as he opened the heavy wooden door and was immediately greeted by chirping birds and a small breeze carrying the smell of daisies and other summer flowers thriving in the meadows around the farm.  
Even if he didn’t want to admit it, the flashing thought crossed his mind that this wasn’t too bad after all.

His eyes noticed Junmyeon stacking up hay with a pitchfork, and for a moment he caught himself playing with the thought of paying him a visit, but his anxiety and the lack of wanting to bear his overly happy attitude told him not to.  
His feet started moving in the opposite direction to Junmyeon, trying not to get his attention.  
He didn’t know where to start, but as he came near the old shack and heard a repetitive neighing, he decided to give it closer inspection.  
Soon the smell of damp hay and farm animals filled his nose and his mood lightened up a little.

Turning around the corner of the entrance a long stretching aisle with horse stables to the left and right came into his sight, here and there were a few longish heads hanging into the hallway which immediately turned to him with curious intent, peeking their ears towards him, seemingly trying to make out who the newcomer was.  
Baekhyun slowly started walking down the corridor, some horses not paying much attention to him too busy snapping their lips at the hay laying around on the floor, others tried to get as close as possible by stretching their necks as far as the stable doors allowed them and get a good sniff of Baekhyun.

He carefully tried making contact with some of the curious ones, feeling their hot blood flow underneath their skin as their empty eyes of them watched him snoopily.  
A little smile spread across his lips, maybe he just found his occupation to kill a little of time.  
He stopped at a black and white spotted horse which rubbed his snout against Baek’s sweater, spreading his saliva mixed with wet hay particles all over his arm.  
Baekhyun didn’t care, he drove his hand softly over the foreside of the horse’s head.  
It chuffed lightly and turned his head a little to the right to get a better look of the small man, and one second later turned even further to look at a rattling noise which also got Baekhyun’s attention.  
He followed the animals gaze, at the end of the hallway appeared a man who placed a saddle over one of the stables gates.  
Baekhyun stood there, following the man’s actions, unsure of what to do.

Awkward.

He could feel the pressure rise again, what should he tell him? Maybe he wouldn’t even ask what he was doing there, maybe the rather tiny man will just keep to his own business and not ask questions of why a to him unknown intruder is inside the old shack.

He didn’t seem to have noticed him, and if he did, he didn’t care.  
But just as Baekhyun was about to give his attention back to the animal still nuzzling his sweater, he heard the figure at the end of the aisle speak up.

“Her name is Emma, she is a gentle companion.”

His voice was soft and flowing, like honey, he turned towards him and gave a nod towards the horse which Baekhyun was standing in front of.  
Baekhyun, startled, just stared at the sheepishly grinning man, he now got a good look of him, his waved gold-brownish hair lazily covered his forehead, his face was highlighted by a thin coverage of what seemed to be sweat, indicating that he had been doing labor for some time now.  
But what most stood out to him was that hideous red plaid shirt, hanging from his body like a hessian sack and tucked into his blue jeans.  
He cringed at this ugly piece of clothing and glanced at the animal, Emma.

“Uh, Yeah…”

What else could socializing genius Byun Baekhyun have said.  
There was an awkward silence, the pressure growing bigger and bigger, this was one of the moments Baek wished that he could become invisible on the spot.  
He just silently kept on petting the forehead of Emma, she seemed to be enjoying it after all.

“Well...have you arrived today? I haven’t seen you around, and I heard that someone is supposed to arrive today.”

Baekhyun sighed silently and turned his head towards him, the stranger smiled and started simonizing the saddle which he just carried in, keeping his eyes locked with Baekhyun’s for a moment before turning his attention towards his task, seeming to wait for an answer.  
Is everyone on this farm aware of him? 

“Yes, haven’t been here long enough for you to notice me.”

He heard him chuckle softly.

“I already would’ve if you were”

“Well, then todays your day”

He hoped that the other could sense the lack of interest in his voice, but instead just again heard him huffing lightly.  
Emma apparently didn’t want Baekhyun’s attention anymore since she started snapping at his sweatshirt, he wasn’t sure if she had bad intentions, but he had no interest in being around that nameless kid without any taste in fashion anyways.  
He stepped away from Emma, leaving her snapping at nothing, and slowly moved towards the entrance, trying not to make it obvious that he wanted to rush off, trying to make it seem that he now had something very important to do. 

“By the way”

The farmer boy turned around to face Baek right as he was about to leave.  
He still had that smile stuck to his face.

“I’m Minseok!”

He stretched out his greasy hand towards Baekhyun, looking at him with shimmering eyes.

He stared at the others hand, standing there with an unsure expression just eying him, feeling his throat tighten.  
Minseok noticed his unsureness and laughed it off, showing his teeth and waggling his hand around lightly.

“Aaah sorry, wouldn’t want to touch that either!”

Baek still gave no response, just a small affirmation by humming approvingly.

“Well… I guess I’ll see you around?... you don’t seem too bad, we should hang out sometimes!”

Baekhyun gave him a questioning expression, standing still for a few seconds before wordlessly leaving the shack in a steady and fast pace.  
He decided that this was enough socializing for the day, heading towards his room for safety.  
You don’t seem too bad, the words kept echoing in his mind, he opened the heavy door and slammed it shut right behind him.  
Who the hell says that?  
Baekhyun dropped on the bed and listened to the creaking of the bedstead fade as the mattress slowly stopped bouncing up and down.  
Never in a million years would the thought of hanging out with him, with anybody on this farm, crossed his mind, and he was convinced he wouldn’t.

But somehow, for a single second he found himself considering.  
And he hated himself for doing so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took quite a while.  
> I just kinda forgot about it, but im back back back again and i promise chapter 3 will be published before 2019.  
> Tell me what you think! xx


End file.
